the canvas closed tightly, the inside of the wagon grew hot and breathless. April listened as the rain increased to a steady downpour. As uncomfortable as she was, she was glad for the shelter.
Outside she heard the noise of the city, the chattering merchants, the clip-clop of the wooden sandals on the cobblestones. Though they were moving at a snail’s pace, she and Adam were shaken and jolted from side to side. Every now and then the caisson gave a terrific jerk as the wheels hit a rock or sank into a pothole.
By the time they left Peking, April was certain she would never be able to survive the trip. Once they reached a safe distance, she told herself, they would get out and walk.
Unfortunately, they never reached a safe distance. Sometime after noon, as they passed through a small bedraggled village, the lieutenant called a halt to eat and rest.
Eddie climbed into the wagon and handed April a knapsack of rations. “Strictly Marine fare. Hardly food for a princess.” He grinned. He tied back the flap and allowed a breeze to waft into the dank interior. “The rain stopped,” he commented.
The fresh air felt heavenly. Just as April was about to ask if he thought they were safely away there was a commotion outside. Too late, Eddie started to draw the canvas flaps closed.
“We want the woman and boy,” April heard a Chinese officer say to the Marine lieutenant.
“This is an official United States government party. You have no right to interfere or demand anything of us.”
It was as if the Chinese officer had not heard. “We will take the woman and the boy. The Empress commands it.”
Eddie jumped down from the wagon. “Command all you like,” he said coldly. “Any rough stuff and your Empress will get a taste of American retribution.”
“Please, no trouble.” It was a girl’s voice April heard as she crawled to the back of the wagon and looked out.
April saw the familiar face of her stepsister, Mei Fei, who sat astride a milk-white mare. Her hand rested on her officer’s arm, restraining him as he reached for the hilt of his sword.
“Mei Fei!” April gasped. It had been almost four years since she had seen the girl, but there was no mistake that it was she. Though she was no more than thirteen or so, she had already blossomed into a lovely and regal-looking woman.
When she saw April the girl smiled broadly and spurred her animal toward the caisson. “April!” she called. “How wonderful to see you again.”
April’s pleasure at seeing her stepsister faded when she realized why Mei Fei was here. “It is so good to see you again, Mei Fei. I only wish we were meeting under different circumstances.” She saw Mei Fei look crestfallen. “I assume you are here on orders from the Empress.”
“Yes,” Mei Fei admitted sadly.
“And if I refuse to come back with you?”
Eddie interrupted. “What do you mean, if? You are not going anywhere but with me to America.”
The Chinese officer drew his sword. The Marines quickly reached for their weapons. A second later a new wave of Imperial soldiers came out from the stand of trees on either side of the roadway. There were at least a hundred of them, April saw, all with drawn swords and murderous looks.
The young Marine lieutenant unsnapped the holster of his side arm. “I will remind you again, sir, that this is an official United States government party. We will not be interfered with.”
They were hopelessly outnumbered and April knew the young lieutenant’s courage would only mean his death. In his eyes she saw that he, too, knew it.
“Wait!” April called as the lieutenant drew his pistol and backed toward where Eddie and his men had grouped beside the caisson. “There will be no slaughter on my account.”
“We are taking you to Shanghai,” Eddie said. “Get back inside, April.”
“You are not taking me anywhere if I refuse to go. Be sensible, Eddie. There are ten to our one. You may kill a few, but they will kill all of you.”
“They wouldn’t dare,” Eddie answered, keeping his eyes fixed on the Chinese officer.
“They would, believe me. I know my people,” April assured him.
“We’re Americans.”
“That makes no difference to them. They’d kill their own relations if the Empress commanded it.” She motioned at Mei Fei. “This girl is my stepsister, the daughter of Prince Ke Loo, heir to the throne of China.” To Mei Fei she said in English, “If I refuse to return with you to the palace and manage to escape with these soldiers, what is your punishment for returning to the Empress empty-handed?”
Mei Fei shifted uncomfortably. She shrugged, finding she could not look at April.
“Tell the gentleman, Mei Fei,” she insisted.
“My head would be forfeited.”
“I thought as much,” April said. She looked at Eddie. “There, you see? And Mei Fei is the Dowager Empress’s favorite.”
Eddie gaped. “She’d cut off the girl’s head?” he asked with a shudder.
“As she cut off my husband’s, and he, too, was a favorite for a while, having killed a man who had attempted to assassinate the Empress. That was the reward she paid him—the executioner’s block. Don’t you see, Eddie, that my people aren’t like yours? We are taught to obey the Empress regardless of what she demands, even if it means giving up our own lives. Even if you and the Marines managed to annihilate every single one of these men, they would consider it an honor to die for the Empress.”
“Well, we may just give them that honor,” the young lieutenant said.
“No.” April climbed out of the wagon. “Come along, darling.” She lifted Adam down after asking him to hand her the reticule. To Mei Fei she asked, “You brought a horse for me?”
Mei Fei motioned toward the stand of trees. The horse was brought forward.
Eddie grabbed her arm. “You are not going back! For God’s sake, April, you’ve been waiting years for this chance.”
“These men’s deaths would always be on my conscience, Eddie. And I could never permit Mei Fei’s sacrifice.” She forced a smile and kissed him lightly on the mouth. “Don’t make trouble, Eddie. Go with the Marines to Shanghai. I will be all right. I should have known all along that I would never be allowed to leave China without the Empress’s permission. Take heart. I haven’t given up. I am only returning to the Forbidden City to obtain my cousin’s permission, and believe me, I will get it. Thank you for everything. Perhaps we will meet again in America.”
“You’re sure you want to do this, April?”
“I’m sure,” she said. “Go along. I’ll be fine.” She smiled. She wasn’t too sure about her last remark.
Eddie helped April to mount the horse, then handed up little Adam. “I hate like the devil to see you go back, April.”
